Sharper Points
by Michael Weyer
Summary: Felicity Smoak wanted to be more than just Oliver's Girl Friday. Be careful what you wish for. Slightly AU for current seasons of TVD/Originals.
1. Chapter 1

**Sharper Points**

**By Michael Weyer**

** As a fan of both shows, had mulled possible crossover ideas but this one struck huge and thought I'd get a start out to see if more interest in it. For "Arrow," set after episode 2X10 while mixing plots of early parts of season 5 of "Vampire Diaries" and first season of "Originals". All comments welcomed.**

* * *

She was a cliché.

That was all there was to it. Felicity Smoak was a living, breathing cliché. Sitting in a bar alone, having a stiff drink half-empty before her, dwelling in her self-pity. 23 years old, bright and at the top of her class and she was the living example of all she once hated. A secretary in love with her boss.

Okay, it wasn't that simple. She wasn't a secretary, really, more a brilliant computer hacker and IT specialist. And of course, it was the fact her boss happened to moonlight as a crime-fighting, bow-wielding vigilante in his spare time. But, at the heart of it all, Felicity was still a cliché and she hated it.

That was why she'd cut her visit to Central City short. It wasn't like Barry would actually miss her, the poor guy was still sleeping (it sounded much better than "coma") and hanging around his bed wouldn't do any good. But she couldn't go back to Starling City, not just yet. She needed time, time to mull over things, time to figure out how she felt about Oliver and his life, time to regroup.

Time to drink.

She didn't know why she'd chosen New Orleans. She supposed she'd always wanted to see the city and it was a nice spot. Felicity figured it was a good way to unwind for a week or so before she went back to Starling. Ten to one, Oliver would have no idea at all. Why would he? He was too busy with Sara back from the dead and the feelings for Lauren.

_Figures. I'm stuck between two exes who happen to be sisters, one of whom is also an island refugee costumed killer. I can't even have a normal love triangle in my life._

Felicity sighed as she sipped her drink once more, brushing back her blond hair. Even in New Orleans, she dressed down, hair in a ponytail, glasses on, just a dark skirt and light blouse, nothing too fancy. She heard folks around her having a good time but just couldn't get herself to join in. Sighing, she sipped her dink once more, wishing she had the stomach for something stronger.

"Bourbon," a clear voice echoed as a young woman sat next to Felicity. She seemed to be a few years younger, very attractive with long black hair, dressed in a fetching red dress. She accepted her drink with a smile to drink it down, glancing to Felicity. "New in town?"

"Just passing through," the blonde shrugged.

"Katherine," the woman introduced herself.

"Felicity," she said. "Not to be rude, I really don't like being that way but sorta not in the mood for company."

"Ah, man troubles?" Katherine nodded. "Trust me, I know all about that. Some days, you just can't win. Best to avoid them, really."

"Yeah, I can relate." Felicity sipped her drink. "So, just needed time to get out, clear my head and such before I go back to Starling."

"Hmmmm…." Katherine pursed her lips. "So…here alone?"

"Story of my life," Felicity shrugged. She missed the evil glint in Katherine's eye and the way her lips turned upward in a smirk.

"Well, we'll just have to fix that," Katherine said as she moved her arm over Felicity's shoulders. The blonde was stock-still for a moment in shock before pulling back. "Um…I am flattered…I mean, really, truly flattered and all but…I'm not like that. Not that it's wrong or such, I'm totally for gay rights, really! I just don't go that way myself so if you don't mind…"

She was hopping off her stool when she felt Katherine grip her arm hard. Felicity turned, her mouth open to protest when Katherine's eyes caught her. The dark orbs seemed to dilate as they fixated on Felicity. "You're going to come with me and not make any fuss at all."

Felicity felt it was perfectly natural for her to grab her purse and follow Katherine through the bar. She paid no mind to her drink or her unpaid bill or really anything else. She just knew she had to follow Katherine no matter what and keep quiet about it.

Katherine led Felicity outside to an alleyway, the sun dipping over the French Quarter. She pressed Felicity up against a wall with surprising speed, her eyes once more fixed on the blonde's. "Just relax, this won't hurt."

A wave of peace came over Felicity, a light smile on her face as any pressures or worries vanished from her. She stared outward as Katherine leaned in and let out a sharp gasp at the sudden pain at her neck. Felicity shook in place but Katherine held her tight, the blonde barely realizing the feeling of her own blood trickle down her neck.

Katherine pulled back, her lips stained with red that had nothing to do with lipstick. Smiling, she raised a fingernail to her right forearm and neatly slit it down. Once more, that gaze met Felicity's as she intoned. "Drink." Without a second thought, Felicity opened her mouth as Katherine placed her forearm to her lips and allowed the red liquid to pour into her throat. She swallowed at least a pint of it before Katherine pulled back.

"Good," she said, that smile never fading. "Now, then…" She stared more, Felicity lost in the bizarre haze, her throat salty and barely registering any of the words Katherine was saying. "Glad to have met you, Felicity." With that, Katherine placed her hands on either side of the other woman's head and gave a savage twist to the right.

And that was how Felicity Smoak first died.

* * *

She came awake with a start and a loud gasp. Her eyes blinked behind her glasses as she looked around, seeing the night skies mirrored by the lights of New Orleans. She winced, feeling the pain in both her neck and her head and, oddly, her stomach. Sitting up, Felicity groaned as she felt her head, happy to see her glasses were still on.

"Are you okay?" Felicity looked up at the young woman before her. She looked barely out of high school, very attractive with lush blonde hair and by experience, Felicity could tell this girl had been a cheerleader with that trim body. She was wearing expensive pants and top with light vest, looking with concern at Felicity. "I'm Caroline."

"Felicity. Smoak." She groaned as she got to her feet. "Wow…Must have gotten mugged. Figures, I survive Starling City intact but end up mugged in New Orleans."

"I think more than just a simple mugging," Caroline said with a sympathetic smile. "How's the neck?"

"Aches," Felicity admitted as she rubbed it. "But getting better."

"Yeah, getting it snapped always hurts," Caroline said in a matter of fact tone. "But could be worse. Stabbed isn't fun either and drowning? From what I can tell, that _seriously _sucks."

Felicity looked up at her, baffled. "I must have hit my head harder than I thought, I can't make heads or tails out of anything you just said."

"Actually, I have to ask if you saw someone. A…friend of mine. Dark hair, rather annoying attitude, acts like everyone else is beneath her?"

"Would her name be Katherine?" Felicity asked. "Yeah, I met her, she…" She stopped and frowned. "She…got me out here somehow. She…" Felicity's fingers flew to her neck to rub it, looking at the clear skin. "She bit me…I was bleeding, bad. And then she…" She shook her head. "No, no, that can't be right."

Caroline was staring at her, confusion giving way to slow comprehension. "Oh my God," she whispered. "She turned you. Just now, she turned you."

"Turned?" Felicity frowned. "What do you mean?"

Caroline took a deep breath. "Okay, I know we just met but you have to trust me here, Felicity. You have…just undergone a really radical change and you need to understand it fast."

Felicity automatically backed up, her hand diving into her purse for her taser. "Um, last person who asked me to follow her, I ended up here. I just met you."

"I know, I know, it's wild and scary but you have to listen or you're in serious trouble." Caroline took a careful step forward. "Please…Just…listen?"

Felicity looked her over, mulling her feelings. Something was telling her to listen to this girl, that she was worth following. That instinct had served her well with Oliver's crusade and so Felicity decided to trust it. "Fine…But I'm warning you right now, you're up to anything, I know some very, very important people who will come looking for me."

Caroline just offered a sad smile as she led Felicity out of the alley. "No offense, hon but whoever your friends are…they can't compare to the people you're about to meet."

* * *

It was only a short taxi ride out of the main city as Caroline and Felicity shared brief histories. She was from some town called Mystic Falls and currently in college but seemed cagy when Felicity pushed for more. Their conversation ended as they came to a large mansion that looked to be quite old with a pair of massive metal gates emblazoned with a large "M." Caroline sniffed as she took that in. "Always subtle…"

She paid the driver off as she and Felicity made their way up the long walkway and to the main entrance. Caroline knocked sharply on the door as Felicity looked around, wondering once more why she was going along with this. The door opened to reveal a woman Caroline's age with shoulder-length dark hair and attractive features, clad in simple jeans and a dark t-shirt. Caroline's eyes went wide as her jaw fell open. _"Haley? _What the _hell_ are you doing here?"

"I could ask the same," the other girl said in a snapping tone. "I happen to be staying here. Not by choice, mind you but…"

Caroline shook her head. "I can't deal with this now. Just let us in, I need to see Klaus."

Haley pursed her lips but shrugged. "Fine, whatever. Come in." She backed up as Caroline entered, Felicity following. "Hi, I'm Felicity," she said, feeling it only right to make proper conversation.

"Welcome to Casa De Mikaelson," the brunette returned. "Alias the nuthouse of New Orleans."

"Klaus!" Caroline was stomping through the foyer, yelling out. "Kalus, get your undead Eurotrash ass down here! We need to talk!" Felicity followed, admiring the old-styled paintings on the walls and the classic décor.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Another female voice echoed from the stairs above. Marching down, wrapping a silk robe around her body, was a very attractive woman with dark blonde hair sweeping back from her beautiful face. Her voice carried a distinct English accent as she walked down the stairs. "Can a person not have a simple bath…" She stopped as she saw Caroline and rolled her eyes. "Oh, wonderful. Mystic Falls Barbie has come for a visit."

"Rebekah?" Caroline groaned. "Dammit, you're here too?"

"It's our home," the elder woman said. "Which is why we don't appreciate you just popping in without any word."

"It's an emergency," Caroline said. "Where's Klaus?"

Right on cue, two men entered from the lavish living room. One had slick black hair and immaculately dressed in a fine suit, quite handsome with stern yet also kind features. The other was younger with a buzz cut of dark hair and partly unshaven. The sheer magnetism the man gave out rocked Felicity as she had to admit some attraction to him. "Hello, luv," the second man said, his lips pulling into a bright smile as he saw Caroline. "What a pleasant surprise." His voice was raspy with the same accent as Rebekah.

"Klaus." Caroline was clearly trying to repress her own smile. "Elijah," she said to the other man. "Great, whole family reunion here."

"Caroline," the man called Elijah said, his accent lush. "What brings you here?"

"Trouble with a capital Katherine freaking Pierce," Caroline snapped.

"A statement that always calls for a drink." Klaus turned on his heel to lead them all into the rather nice living room, paintings and other artwork around along with a grand piano. Klaus moved to a table to pour several drinks, sipping his own bourbon. "And just who might your friend be?"

"Felicity," Caroline introduced, the other woman waving her hand, feeling completely lost.

The elder man took her hand and kissed it, a move he made seem quite natural. "Elijah Mikaelson." He motioned to the other blonde in the room. "My sister, Rebekah. And that is my younger brother, Klaus."

"Younger but far the better," Klaus intoned. "Now just what has that harridan done now? We'd heard she was human again."

"She was," Caroline said. "In a fight, Elena shoved the cure down Katherine's throat."

"Oh, she got the cure?" Rebekah groaned. "That is so highly unfair."

"On the contrary," Klaus chuckled as he sat in a large chair. "Of all people, Katerina Petrova becoming human? That is poetic justice of the highest order."

"She disagreed," Caroline said. "We don't know how or who but she got some witch buddy of hers to pull a Freaky Friday on Elena." She saw the baffled looked given her and rolled her eyes. "Get some DVD's already. She got a witch to put her spirit into Elena's body and Elena's into Katherine's."

"So, Gilbert is human?" Rebekah shrugged as she crossed a leg and sipped her drink. "I don't see the problem."

"The problem," Caroline bit out, trying to stay calm. "Is that she's in Katherine's body. A body that's just remembering it's 500 years old. She's dying, we've only got a few weeks before she goes."

"And we're supposed to care…why?"

Caroline glared before looking to Klaus. "She dropped some clues she was coming to New Orleans, I don't know why. But I figure you guys must know some witches or someone here who can help us grab Katherine and undo this."

"And leave Katherine dying?" Elijah frowned deeply. "I don't believe I'm comfortable with that."

"And since when have you been so considerate of her, brother?" Klaus asked.

Rebekah laughed. "Oh, he never told you? Darling Elijah was involved with her for some time."

It was Klaus' turn to laugh. "Really? Of all people, Elijah, you fell into her trap? And you claim to be the more intelligent of us."

"Excuse me?" All eyes turned toward Felicity, who had been standing in the doorway for the last few minutes. "Um, I'm sure this is all really fascinating, your private talks and such and the babbling of centuries old bodies but I'd really appreciate it if someone could explain to me just what the hell is going on here?" She saw the looks she was given and swallowed. "Please?"

Elijah glanced to Caroline, who shrugged. "I found her in an alley. I think Katherine just turned her."

"Glorious," Rebekah sarcastically said. "Just what we needed, another baby blonde biter on our hands."

Haley sighed. "Oh, just rip the band-off already." She raised her hand up. "Everyone here who is not a vampire, raise their hands!"

Felicity just blinked as her hand went up.

"Not so fast, Felicity."

Felicity stared at Haley, uncomprehending. Then she looked to where each of the Mikaelsons suddenly showed off sharp and long fangs, black eyes and veins bulging in their faces. Felicity stared at them, then her eyes glanced to a portrait nearby, one that appeared to be at least a hundred years old and portrayed a trio of people in period dresses. A trio that just happened to look exactly like the three siblings before her.

She felt the glass pressed into her hand and downed it fast. She swallowed before glancing at the remnants of red liquid inside and looked up at Caroline. "That…wasn't wine, was it?"

As the young woman shook her head, Felicity realized her life (and death) had just turned vastly more complicated.

* * *

**The idea of Katherine switching bodies with Elena was in my mind before "Diaries" did much the same in case you're wondering. Just decided to incorporate that to this story and next chapter shows more of just who it was helping Katherine out. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Sharper Points**

**By Michael Weyer**

* * *

Much like death, handling becoming a vampire involved several stages and right now, Felicity Smoak was in the first of them: Denial.

"No…No, there is no way…I cannot be a vampire! I mean, ignoring how there can't be such things as vampires, I cannot be one!"

"You had your neck broken a half hour ago and you just downed blood with no problem," Caroline said as kindly as she could. "Sorry, Felicity, but it's true."

"But…how?" Felicity gasped.

"She drank your blood, you drank hers, then she killed you." Klaus shrugged. "Simple biology."

Felicity stared at him. "You really said that with a straight face?" She rubbed her temples. "So…what, I have to worry about glittering in the sunlight?"

The others all shared sour looks. "Remind me again to put the death of that Meyers woman on my to-do list," Klaus growled.

"Only if you beat me to it," Rebekah snarled back.

"Hey, you think you vamps are the only ones pissed at that crap?" Haley remarked. "She didn't exactly portray us werewolves in the best light either!"

"Were…wolves?" Felicity gaped. "You're…"

"Ain't as fun as it looks, trust me," Haley snapped.

"You're...a werewolf..." Felicity looked to Rebekah. "And you're a vampire."

"No, we're bloody mermaids," Rebekah scoffed and Haley repeated the reaction.

Felicity put her hands to her head. "This can't be happening, cannot be happening…"

"Take a walk in daylight, darling, see how it happens," Rebekah snarked.

As always, Elijah tried to keep things as civil as possible. "I am sorry this has to happen, Ms. Smoak but you need to accept the reality of the situation. My siblings and myself are the Originals. The first vampires of our kind, turned over a thousand years ago. We have seen many a vampire made and made many ourselves. Right now, you have to adjust to this quickly for the better of us all."

Felicity could feel herself shaking as she sipped her drink again, realizing with a shudder it was blood. "How…How do I go back? To normal?"

"No such thing anymore," Klaus remarked. "Unless you want us to stake you, that'll solve your problem right off."

"I'm gonna be sick," Felicity moaned, bending over.

"For God's sake, not here!" Rebekah snapped. "That is a 300-year old Persian rug! I just got the stains out from the coed Klaus dropped there!"

Felicity stared at that. "You…killed someone here?"

Klaus chuckled. "If these walls could scream, my dear girl…"

"Klaus is the more reckless of us all," Rebekah stated. "He did kill the mother of dear Caroline's werewolf boyfriend."

"You're not helping, Rebekah," Caroline hissed.

"It wasn't my intention."

"And in that, you succeeded admirably."

"Why would Katherine turn a random stranger?" Elijah questioned.

"Who knows why the hell that woman does anything?" Rebekah fired back. She headed out of the room. "I'm going to finish my bath."

"Excuse me, I need help saving Elena!" Caroline barked.

"I'm placing things in need of priority." Rebekah sauntered out of the room as Caroline muttered under her breath.

"I can't…this is not…I need to go," Felicity turned and headed right for the front door. Her mind was buzzing so much that she didn't register how, to the others' eyes, she was a literal blur as she ran out.

Caroline sighed as she rose up. "I'll go get her." She passed Haley with a frown. "Again, why are you here?"

Rebekah suddenly stuck her head into the room. "Oh, you didn't know?" She had a wide smile on her face. "The werewolf happens to be carrying my darling brother's magical miracle child."

Caroline stared at her before looking to the two males in the room. Elijah stared right back while Klaus was busy examining his glass. Caroline's eyes widened as she realized what he was not saying. "You…but…how?! I mean, I know how but…how?!"

"Chalk it up to a bad night and plenty of vodka," Haley sighed. "And feel free to enjoy the karma I'm now getting as apparently this thing is wanted by the witches here who cast a spell so now I'm stuck in town."

Caroline barely heard that, still staring at Klaus. "You…" She shook her head as she walked off. "I need to get out of here." She raced out of the mansion to leave the siblings behind.

"And we're off to a wonderful start already," Haley remarked. The glares of the two brothers did little to sway her snide attitude.

* * *

It didn't take long for Caroline to catch up to Felicity. The other woman was standing under a street lamp a few blocks away from the mansion, staring at the city before them. She didn't look over as Caroline came up to her, just staring out. "I left…a minute ago," Felicity said in a flat tone. "And I just made it about ten blocks."

"Vamp speed," Caroline said. "Takes some getting used to but it's great to be able to sleep in and still be on time for classes. Not to mention room cleaning." She paused before rubbing Felicity's shoulder, the other woman jerking. "Hey…I know. Believe me, I've been there too. But it does get better."

"Really?"

"Sure. Look on the bright side, you're what, 23, 24? Me, I'm always going to be 17. A filler year. Not looking forward to still getting carded when I'm 170."

Felicity swallowed. "I have to…kill people?"

"Oh, no, no, no!" Caroline quickly said. "No, you don't have to! You can do animal blood and if you do need to feed on humans, you can just take a bit and leave them be."

"Oh. That's…a relief. Except for, you know, the actual biting and feeding…"

Caroline sighed. "Yeah. That…Okay, not going to say it's not gross the first few times but sadly, you do get used to it which is pretty scary." She saw Felicity waver at that and put an arm on her shoulder. "Come on. Something tells me you need a very stiff drink while we handle this."

"Good call."

* * *

The bar wasn't too fancy, one of numerous in the French Quarter. Felicity and Caroline found their way to a quiet booth away from most of the hustle and bustle. An attractive woman with dark blonde hair in jeans and a blouse came up to them. "Hey, I'm Cami. Orders?"

"Two bourbons," Caroline ordered.

"ID?"

Caroline looked her in the eye and Felicity saw the pupils seem to flash. "Just give us the bourbons."

Cami's face lost its smile and turned hard. "I'm on vervain, girl."

"Crap."

Cami leaned in. "Listen…I know about you vampires. I just happened to spend the last few weeks under the compulsion of an arrogant, insufferably self-involved sociopath."

"I think I just met him," Felicity said. "Klaus?"

Cami winced. "Bastard had it so I forgot all about him until he showed up, then remembered everything, then forgot as soon as he left. Felt like I was losing my mind."

"Sympathy," Caroline said. "First vamp I met used me for a blood bank/lover and I just rolled with it."

"At least he didn't have you writing his memoirs," Cami snapped. "You have no idea what it took for me to break free of that so just…" She rubbed her temples. "Just no trouble. I don't want anything from any of you."

She walked off, leaving Felicity staring at Caroline. "Is that…Is that how you…um…" She waved a hand, unable to actually finish the sentence.

"Turned?" Caroline shook her head. "Not exactly. Town I grew up in, Mystic Falls? Seems the adults knew for years about the supernatural, tried to hide it from us innocent kids, totally unaware we'd get pulled into it. I landed in the hospital with some vampire blood in me and then Katherine killed me so…here I am. 19 years old and immortal."

Felicity frowned. "That thing just now…were you trying to hypnotize her?"

"We call it compulsion. Sounds less B-movie. But vervain blocks it. It's basically our main weakness, burns on contact and if someone is ingesting it or carrying an item with it, they're immune to our control."

Cami returned, placing bourbon before Felicity and a coke before Caroline, leaving without a word. Felicity downed half her glass as Caroline sipped her own. Placing her glass down, Caroline brought her hands together. "Okay, let's get to it. You can still eat and drink regular food but it's blood that's our main need. Plus points to the deal: Enhanced senses, fast healing, super speed and strength. We have reflections, we can't fly, we don't need to sleep in coffins. Crosses, turning into bats or mist and running rivers are total crap, we can enter a church if we want to. Sadly, wooden stakes are true to the legends and so's beheading and, oh, we do have to be invited inside to enter a house."

"And…sunlight?"

"That too," Caroline said. "Unless you have one of these." She held up her hand, letting Felicity see the large ring on her finger. "Daylight rings. You can get them in a bracelet or necklace too if you want. They have spells that allow us to go about in daytime like normal."

"Spells?" Felicity snorted. "What, you're telling me witches are real too?" She sipped her drink before seeing Caroline's look and her jaw fell. "No way…"

"Way. Best friend happens to be a witch, powerful one too."

"Vampires, werewolves, witches, what next, zombies?"

"Oh, please, those don't exist." Caroline cocked her head. "You're taking this much better than I'd have thought."

Felicity shrugged. "Let's just say I've had to handle a rather…unusual job." She sipped her drink again. "You…have family?"

"My mom's sheriff of our town, knew about vampires." Caroline sighed. "It was…tough when she found out about me. Compelled her to forget the first time but after the second, decided it was better she knew. My dad.." She winced. "That's…complicated."

"I know the feeling," Felicity said. "So, you've never killed anyone?"

Caroline bit her lip. "Not…to feed." She saw Felicity's stare and took a breath. "Listen…I'm not going to lie, Felicity. It's going to be hard. You're going to find yourself overwhelmed at times. And there's a lot of dangerous stuff out there that's coming after you. And sometimes…Sometimes, you have to do things you don't want to do. That you thought you were never capable of doing. Sometimes…" She wiped at her brow. "Sometimes, you need to kill to survive. It's ugly but that's eternal life for you."

Felicity downed the last of her drink. On the one hand, this was more than troubling to her. On the other…Was it really so much different than Oliver on his quest and not having much problems at first taking lives? She had made peace with that so why not this? "So….you and Klaus…."

"Wow, that's a great way to jump the conversation."

"I learn from the best. So?"

Caroline shrugged. "Not much. He's got a bizarre obsession for me."

"Right…which is totally one-sided, I'm sure."

Caroline snorted. "The guy is a mass-murdering nutcase!"

"And yet, somehow, I got the feeling you and he…"

"Not having this conversation with someone I Just met."

"Sorry, I'm trying to change the subject to crush my growing abject terror at becoming a creature of the night." Felicity removed her glasses to rub the bridge of her nose. She was about to put them on but paused as she looked around. She lifted her glasses up to look through them, then lowered them again, repeating the process. "Wow. My eyesight just turned absolutely perfect."

"Enhanced senses are kicking in," Caroline said. "The hearing should be too, we'd better get out of here, that can get overwhelming in a crowd." She put some bills on the table to lead Felicity out of the bar. "So, Starling City?" Caroline asked as they walked out onto the New Orleans streets. "Sounds exciting. What do you do?"

"Oh, I work for Oliver Queen."

"Whoa!" Caroline gasped. _"The _Oliver Queen? The millionaire hottie who did the real life _Survivor?"_

"That's the one."

"Wow, that must be a fun job! Get to go to big parties, get to enjoy hanging with the rich and famous…"

"Let's just say it's a bit less glamorous than that," Felicity dryly said.

"Yeah but hanging with a hot boss can't be all bad," Caroline winked. She saw the light blush on Felicity's cheeks. "Oooooh, you like him!"

"Wow, you are still a teenager," Felicity intoned. "When you grow up…"

"I'm never going to."

"Okay, amended, when you get older, you'll realize you can't just throw yourself at guys no matter how you feel."

"Hey," Caroline put a hand to Felicity's arm to stop her. "I'm young but I've been through enough to realize a very important lesson: Just because we live centuries doesn't mean we have time for everything. And, contrary to how it often seems in Mystic Falls, you don't get second chances. So maybe worth taking a few now."

"Somehow, I doubt any future boyfriends are going to be total approving of my new life choices," Felicity remarked. She and Caroline were turning a corner when a familiar looking brunette appeared before them. "Well, if it isn't Romy and Michelle."

"Wow, 500 years old and that's the best movie reference you can come up with?" Caroline was instantly alert, Felicity stepping behind her. "I'd say get some new ones to watch but you won't be around long enough to do that."

"What are you going to do?" Katherine smirked. "Can't kill me without killing precious Elena's body."

In a blur, Caroline had Katherine pinned against the wall, hoisting her up by the throat. "I'm pretty sure Elena will forgive me for a broken neck and a smashed in nose. She'd only be upset if I tore out your hair."

Amazingly, Katherine smiled despite the hard grip. "Maybe. But you won't get the chance." She glanced over Caroline's shoulder. "Now would be a good time, Felicity."

Her face blank, the other blonde reached into her purse to pull out a syringe. She quickly jabbed it into Caroline's neck, depressing the plunger. Caroline yelled in both surprise and pain, dropping Katherine as she grabbed at her neck. She turned to face Felicity, whose face was now in mirroring shock. "Oh my God…oh, my God, what did I just do?"

Caroline felt her legs give way as she collapsed to the ground. "Oh, God, I'm so sorry!" Felicity said, kneeling down to her new friend. "I have no idea what I did that!"

"I guess she didn't get around to explaining how an Original can compel other vampires," Katherine said, back on her feet. "Now, I'm not an Original but thanks to a new friend, I can sure replicate that touch."

She looked over Felicity's shoulder and the other woman turned to see an attractive black woman with curly hair and a dark dress coming behind her. "I've had plenty of time to practice that spell," she said in a warm voice. "As well as the one to help Katherine and her new body."

"And I do appreciate it, Sabine."

"Please," the woman said, her smile growing. "Call me Celeste."

Katherine looked to Felicity with her smirk. "Thanks for the help, Ms. Smoak. Don't worry, you'll see how it works out." In a lightning-fast move, she raced forward to grab Felicity by her ponytail and yank back hard.

As her neck was snapped for the second time that evening, Felicity decided that the next time she had a vacation, she'd pick somewhere much safer. Like Gotham.

* * *

Rebekah stepped back into the parlor, wearing one of her usual designer dresses, always ready to present herself at her best. "Where are the two annoying babies?" she asked.

"No doubt Caroline helping Felicity with her nervous breakdown," Klaus stated, flipping through a book as he lounged on the couch. Elijah was nearby, studying a map of New Orleans.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and the nerd girl will commit suicide," Rebekah remarked as she made herself a drink.

A shrill tone cut through the air and Klaus reached to his pocket to get his cell phone. He glanced at the screen before answering it. "Marcel. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

_"I'm guessing your siblings are around," _came the warm voice of the self-proclaimed King of the Quarter. _"Put me on speaker, you all need to hear this."_

Intrigued, Klaus did so as he held the phone up. _"I'll make this short and sweet," _Marcel announced. _"Out of respect for what you and your family have done for me, I'm willing to let you all leave New Orleans safely. You leave town, you don't come back And to make sure of that, you are going to hand over those special daggers of yours, the ones that can kill an Original."_

Klaus chuckled. "Just out of amusement, how in this fantasy world of yours would you see us possibly conforming to such an outrageous demand?"

_"It's funny, Klaus. I spent so long looking for a way to get at you, for something you might actually care enough about to give up your lust for power. I thought it'd be impossible given how you've never cared for anyone but yourself. But then, I met a certain acquaintance of yours from Mystic Falls."_

Rebekah was the first to get it. "Katherine?!"

Klaus laughed loudly. "Oh my…Marcel, my dear old friend, I would never have imagined you'd be gullible enough to fall for Ms. Petrova."

_"Please," _the man scoffed. _"You didn't raise a fool. It's purely business between us as we both have interests the other wants handled. And it's thanks to her that I finally have something you want. Or I should say…someone."_

The smile vanished from Klaus' face as he sat straight up. "What?"

_"Blondes always were a weakness for you, Klaus," _Marcel went on, his voice mocking. _"But I gotta admit, I never imagined you'd like them so young. Oh, she is a looker, even in the jeans and light blouse of hers but not the glamorous type you usually go for. Still, there is something about her…something special."_

Klaus' jaw tightened and his words were snarled out like a rabid animal. "Marcel…If you harm her…If you touch her in any way…I will unleash a wave of death and destruction upon this city that will make Hurricane Katrina look like a summer squall. I will flood the streets with the blood of every one of your allies, vampire, human or otherwise. I will tear your heart out of your chest, put your head on a spike in the city square and leave your body pierced with every wooden stake I can get my hands on. That is my promise to you. And you know I keep my word on such things."

A dark chuckle echoed through the phone. _"Always the poet, Klaus. You've got until midnight to hand over the daggers and get out of my city."_

"_Our _city, Marcel," Elijah said, his own voice cold. "We founded it."

_"And abandoned it. I've run this place for a century, I built it into a power and I'm not letting you just waltz right in and take it away from me. I'm just doing what you taught me, Klaus. I'm taking my power and doing what it takes to hold onto it. So if you care in the least about this Caroline, you do as I say or you start finding pieces of her around the Quarter."_

The line went dead as Klaus growled, flexing his hand around the phone. Rebekah quickly grabbed it before he could crush it. "We can't keep buying new ones, you know."

Klaus was on his feet but Elijah quickly moved in front of him. "Niklaus," he began, holding up his hands. "Do not lose control."

"Might as well try to turn the tides, brother," Rebekah pointed out.

"He has Caroline," Klaus snarled. "What's worse is he is challenging us. _Us_, brother! You expect me to just take it?"

"No," Elijah agreed. "But going in a rage is not wise either. He'll kill Caroline in a moment, you know that. And Felicity. We need to handle this wisely."

Klaus took a deep breath before setting his jaw. "Fine. We handle this calmly and clearly." He backed up and began marching toward his study. "Tell Sophie and her witch friends it's time they finally pay their due to us." He stopped to look back at his siblings, eyes cold flints. "We're going to war."

* * *

** Next chapter (provided there's enough interest in this to continue) will have Felicity forced in trial by fire with her new nature. All comments welcomed to help drive this more. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Sharper Points**

**By Michael Weyer**

** The reaction was good so continuing with this (pushed by awesome Felicity moments of last few episodes). Again, a bit AU from TVD/Originals so be warned of that.**

* * *

"I hate you. I mean, not really hate you, you seem a nice girl and all but…I hate how your world is."

"Yeah, I get that."

Felicity hadn't enjoyed being tied up before. Being bound in chains was hardly an improvement. Manacles encased her wrists that refused to give way despite her pull. She and Caroline were chained to chairs in a small room, shades drawn about. They had recovered about an hour earlier but had been left alone since.

"Again, really, really sorry about that," Felicity said. "I just…had to do it."

"Magic-pushed compulsion, a real bitch," Caroline replied with a shrug. "Trust me, done a few things I haven't wanted to. You get over it."

"That's…comforting. I guess."

The door creaked open and both blondes were alert as a handsome black-skinned man entered, clad in jeans and leather jacket. "Ladies,' he said in a warm voice. "Sorry about this, I really am. But desperate times and all create harsh solutions."

"Who are you?" Caroline demanded. "And how bad am I going to have to kick your ass when I get out of here?"

The man chuckled. "Feisty. No wonder Klaus fancies you."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Of course, it's all about him."

"My name is Marcel," the man introduced himself. "King of the French Quarter."

"You do realize that this has been a democracy for a few centuries, right?" Felicity asked.

"Oh, I know," Marcel said as he pulled a chair out to sit in. "I've lived a lot of history in this city for the last two centuries. I was born a slave. And by that, I don't mean I had a hard life or a crappy job, I mean I was quite literally a slave. You know any black people?"

Caroline and Felicity exchanged confused looks before both nodded. "Well, next time you see them, let them know that they don't know how good they have it today," Marcel continued. "We didn't have rights, hell, we didn't have the right to _have _rights. My mama didn't even give me a name, she was so convinced I wouldn't live long enough to use it. I was been beat on bad when Klaus and his siblings found me. They took me in, raised me, let me live a life, find someone…" He paused. "And let me turn. I owe Klaus everything."

"So why are you doing this?" Caroline blurted.

"Cause a hundred years ago, Mikael came to New Orleans." Marcel saw Caroline's wince. "I see you know of him. He came hunting his kids down and killed hundreds of people, vampire, werewolf and human. He nearly killed me, burned down half the damn city while Klaus, Rebekah and Elijah just ran." Marcel leaned in, his face intense. "I got out the rubble. I brought this town back, I helped rebuild it. I control the vamps, the witches, all of it. And now, a century later, Klaus saunters back in and thinks he can just take it over?" He shook his head. "Not happening."

"And…you think Klaus is going to accept that?" Caroline snorted. "Please. We've been trying to get rid of him for years in Mystic Falls, he doesn't go quietly anywhere!"

"Which is where you come in," Marcel said. "You're leverage. Sorry to be blunt about it but that's how it is."

Caroline sighed. "Let me guess who it was who told you I had this special power?"

"Always were smarter than you looked," a familiar voice echoed as Katherine stepped into the room, her smirk still on. "Now don't worry, Marcel here is going to let you go once Klaus is handled. Personally, I want to stake you but his town, his rules."

Felicity glared at her. "I'm cutting a little slack since you're in the body of Caroline's friend, and I can't believe I just uttered that sentence, but I really, really don't like you. It's important you realize that."

"Oh, don't hold a grudge over the turning," Katherine said with a wave of her hand. "Look at Caroline here. She was just a thick-headed cheerleader, she's much improved now that she's a vampire." Caroline just growled at her.

There was a knock as a vampire stuck his head in. "Um, Marcel? Someone's here to see you and…" He vanished suddenly with the noise of a body slamming into a wall as Rebekah entered the room. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?" she blurted.

"Are we rescued?" Felicity whispered to Caroline.

"Get back to you on that."

"Rebekah." Marcel smiled warmly. "Let me guess, your brother sent you here to negotiate?"

"Klaus doesn't negotiate. You should know that by now." Rebekah glared at Katherine. "Oh and don't think that getting into Gilbert's body has eased my hate of you one iota."

"Like I care," Katherine sniffed.

"You should," Rebekah snapped. "Both of you should. Because Klaus is coming here and he's bringing hell with him."

"I'm ready."

Rebekah actually laughed. "Oh my God, Marcel, _no one _is ever ready for Klaus! Especially when he's like this!" She waved at Caroline. "Exactly why, of all people, he'd choose this little bimbo to latch onto is beyond me…"

"Hey!" Caroline yelled.

Katherine chuckled. "Really, Rebekah? Not like you've got the smartest romantic choices as you were hooking up with Caroline's ex over the summer."

"And you were sleeping with Elijah," Rebekah fired back. "An image I still need more magic to try and erase from my memory."

"Now, now, not like all of Rebekah's judgments have been bad." Marcel winked and Rebekah seemed to shiver. Caroline saw it, blinking before her jaw dropped open. "Whoa…wait…you two?!"

"Gave a lot for this lady," Marcel confirmed.

"Until you left me daggered in a box for fifty years!" Rebekah yelled.

"Seemed to have gotten over that a few weeks ago as the claw marks on my back could attest for a day."

Felicity hung her head. "Oh my God, I'm in the supernatural version of _Melrose Place."_

Rebekah shook her head. "Marcel, I came here on my own to tell you that if you want this building standing an hour from now, you're going to have to let these girls go. Klaus is angry, Marcel, angry in a way that makes our father look the model of restraint. And Elijah may seem the more sedate of us but believe me, when he gets upset, he's just as bad. They're heading here and if you refuse them, they will slaughter every person they get their hands on."

"I've got a hundred vampires here," Marcel confidentially announced.

"Nowhere near enough. Not for them." She stepped in, licking her lips. "Marcel…please. Just let them go and maybe Klaus will ignore this little tantrum of yours. Otherwise, I can't stop what's coming."

Marcel just glared at her before moving to the door. "I know how to deal with Klaus. I can handle it."

Rebekah sighed as she followed him out. Katherine let the door shut and turned to smile at the two blondes. "So…just us girls now."

* * *

"Marcel," Rebekah was saying as she followed him onto the balcony overlooking the main courtyard of the building. "I understand why you're doing this, believe me, I do. But this is not the way to go about it. You push Klaus too far and he hits back hard, you know that."

Marcel whirled on her. "I'm not the same pup you all took in," he hissed. "I'm the big dog around here and I don't stand down to anyone."

Rebekah rubbed her temples. "Men. All of you, just total idiots and…."

She was cut off by some loud screams from outside. Both whirled around as in a blur, Klaus and Elijah appeared in the courtyard. Both had blood splattered across their clothes and mouths, Elijah doing his best to wipe it off with a handkerchief. Klaus opened up his hands to allow a half-dozen hearts to flop onto the ground. "Marcel," Elijah announced in a friendly tone. "I believe we require a chat."

Marcel leaned on the railing as he looked down at the two. "I think I made my position clear."

"One chance, Marcel," Klaus growled. "Let Caroline go right now and we walk away with little fuss. Although frankly…I don't mind the fuss."

A crowd of vampires began to appear around them but Klaus and Elijah appeared to pay no heed. Marcel could see the looks of nervousness, even fear, on the face of his followers and quickly spoke up. "I didn't want this, Klaus. I really didn't. Just give me what I want and leave and that's that."

Klaus shook his head. "We don't' give in, Marcel. Not now or ever." He looked around the gathering pack and raised his voice. "My brother and I are Originals which means we are older and stronger than all of you combined. In addition, I am a hybrid. I cannot be killed. Eternity is a very long time. How long do you think Marcel will say in power?" He stretched out his arms. "I will be quite grateful to those who aid me…and quite pitying of those who dare cross me."

"I would advise you to take up my brother's offer," Elijah stated. "He rarely offers such mercies."

"I would know of that," a cool female voice echoed through the courtyard. The vampires looked up to see an attractive black woman with curly hair and a dark dress enter the area. "I know that first-hand."

Klaus frowned. "Sabine, wasn't it? The friend of Sophie's?"

"Oh, I'm much more than that, Klaus," Sabine stated. "I always was. It's why you drowned me so long ago."

Klaus frowned but Elijah's eyes widened. "_Celeste_."

"Hello, Elijah. You always were the smart one."

"Celeste?" Klaus' eyes brightened. "Ah, yes. That witch you had a fling with a few centuries back." He looked her over. "Looking much different today. Reincarnation or possession?"

"A bit of both," Celeste said. "I've worn many a face over the centuries but this one seems fitting for this meeting." She examined her hands. "Much like my original in many ways."

"Which will be just as dead," Klaus said. "I do enjoy reliving old experiences."

Celeste smiled. "Ah, this is when you expect your witch cavalry to come rushing in? It's not going to happen, Klaus. Sophie trusts me. She listens to me. So when I said we'd be better off without your help, that you would never honor your word to aid the witches, she was open to siding with us.."

"It doesn't matter," Klaus snarled. "Let them go now or pay the price."

Celeste smiled. "And that is as good a cue as any."

Klaus looked up at the balcony. "And you, sister? Where do you stand?"

She set her jaw. "I don't want any part of this foolishness, brother. I told you that already."

Klaus nodded before moving a hand into his coat. He held up a golden coin before placing it on the ground. "Whoever picks that up…gets to live." He turned to face the pack around the courtyard. "Now, then. Who's first?"

There was a pause before one vampire charged in. Klaus stepped to the side, tearing the man's heart out of his chest, his body walking on before collapsing. Another vampire raced at them but Elijah caught her by the throat to snap her neck. Elijah turned to knock another down as more began racing toward them, using sheer numbers to try and overwhelm the two Originals. Above the balcony, Rebekah hissed through her teeth. "It's not enough," she whispered.

"Not yet," Marcel smirked.

Rebekah frowned before glancing over to see Celeste whispering under her breath. "What is she…"

"Stay out of it, Rebekah," Marcel hissed, putting a hand to her arm. "Because Celeste knew Guinevieve." He saw Rebekah's eyes widening and nodded as he lowered his voice as much as he could. "Unless you want your brothers finding out just who it was who brought your daddy to town all those years back…You'll step back and let this happen."

Rebekah stared at him, then to her brothers. As much as she felt loyalty to her family, her long-held sense of self-preservation was too strong to ignore. Thus, she stood back to watch the brawl under her, knowing there was nothing that could be done to stop it.

* * *

Katherine bit on a strawberry, savoring the taste. "I do miss these. I have to make sure to get more soon."

"Is she always this obnoxious?" Felicity asked.

"This is a quiet day," Caroline remarked.

They could hear grunts and occasional screams from beyond the doorway as the fight continued. "You realize that when Klaus is done tearing through all those guys, he's coming for you," Caroline said. "Normally, I wouldn't care but I'd hate to have Elena's head ripped off."

Caroline just smirked. "Marcel has some tricks up his sleeve." She looked to Felicity. "You've been awfully silent. Still ticked about the bit job?"

Felicity simply sat there, shuffling in her seat. "This isn't my first time being held hostage. It's happened before and I hated it."

"And yet you're so good at being a helpless waste," Katherine said in a mocking tone.

Felicity didn't seem to hear her. "See, the guy I work for…he had a tough time once. In fact, he had five years worth of it. He told me that he had to do a lot of things he wasn't proud of to survive and I'm realizing he was right. He taught me how to keep my calm in these situations. He taught me how to never show fear and he taught me that panic is not an option."

Katherine yawned. "There a point here?"

"He also taught me," Felicity went on. "That when you're cuffed like this, there's a few ways to get out of the situation. They can be pretty painful and I've never wanted to do them myself…" She looked up, her jaw set. "But when you know you can heal fast, that suddenly opens your options up a hell of a lot more."

With that, she yanked her wrists out of the manacles she had spent the last ten minutes working her way out of. They were chafed with blood and broken skin, one wrist snapped and both her pinky fingers twisted about. And yet it was worth every ounce of pain just to see the look on Katherine's face right before Felicity smashed a forearm into it.

The elder vampire went sailing back into a wall, landing hard with a gasp. Felicity grabbed her limp wrist, gritting her teeth before jerking it back. The pain of bones resetting was agonizing but she brushed it past as she moved to grab at Caroline's own chains, working to undo them from the chair. "Behind you!" Caroline yelled and Felicity turned to see Katherine charging at her.

They fell back on the floor, rolling about, Katherine punching Felicity in the jaw, stunning her. She fell back, legs askew as Katherine jumped onto her, clawing at her throat. Gasping, Felicity's hands felt at her feet and in a wild burst of inspiration, she yanked off one of her shoes and then swung it upward. Katherine screamed as the heel buried itself right into the side of her head. She let Felicity go as she stumbled back, grabbing at the shoe stuck at her head.

Glancing around, Felicity saw a set of iron bars lying on the side, apparently construction material for some renovations to the building. She grabbed one and held it up as Katherine charged at her, running right into the pole. She was gasping in pain as Caroline moved to join Felicity, both of them grabbing the pole and racing forward. The pole tore through Katherine's mid-section and impaled itself into the wall, leaving her pinned to it. She snarled out and was opening her mouth to curse them when Caroline swiftly snapped her neck. Katherine hung limply to the wall like a bizarre decoration.

"Oh, wow," Felicity groaned as she stepped back, staring at the body. "That was…I mean…I'm really not usually that violent, really."

"Trust me, Katherine can turn a nun into an MMA fighter," Caroline assured her. She moved to the door. "Come on, we have to stop Klaus before it gets even worse."

"How can things get worse?'

"The mind truly boggles."

* * *

Rebekah was hardly a squeamish girl and yet she had to wince as she saw the upper torso of a vampire thrown into a wall as Klaus slammed the lower half into two other vampires. The courtyard was strewn with over a dozen bodies, the lucky ones with snapped necks, the others with torn-out hearts. Klaus was truly an animal, snarling out as he knocked a trio of vampires back while Elijah was unleashing his own dark side, his suit stained with blood but still a bizarre imacculate creature of destruction.

Marcel's face darkened as he saw another vampire fall. "Any time, Celeste!" he yelled out.

The witch completed her chanting as she waved her hands forward. At once, Klaus and Elijah both screamed out, grabbing their heads in pain. Rebekah hissed as she grabbed her own head. "Marcel," she gasped out as she fell to her knees.

His face held true pity but also strength. "Sorry, Beks. But that affects any Original. And right now, your brothers being taken out means a lot more."

She growled but could do little else beyond the pain. Seeing the two other Originals down, the vampires moved in, throwing out chains to pull back on Klaus's arms. He tried to fight back but couldn't, several vamps taking advantage to punch at him with grins and laughs. Nearby, Celeste kept the spell up, her own face in a dark smile.

"Leave them alone!" Celeste turned to see Caroline racing forward, Felicity behind her. Snorting, the witch waved her hand, Caroline sent flying backward, slamming hard against a wall with a loud cracking sound on her head. Another wave sent Felicity off her own feet and crashing into a nearby table. Dismissing them as irritants, Celeste turned her attention back to keeping the agony on the Originals going.

Slowly rising, Felicity felt a rush of rare anger tear through her, the pain of the last several hours crashing on her all at once. If she could see herself, she might have been horrified at how her eyes behind her glasses were now black and veins bulging about her face and her mouth now filled with razor-sharp fangs But the reason Felicity prided herself on was being shoved aside. She'd been killed, turned, killed again and brutalized and even for someone as rational as herself, there was a breaking point. And Celeste had just pushed her to it.

In a blur, Felicity lunged forward, grabbing Celeste by the arms to pin her down. With an instinct that she could never have imagined the day before, Felicity extended the fangs and bit down hard onto Celeste's neck. The witch screamed and tried to struggle but anger fueled Felicity's new-found strength as she held onto her tight, continuing to suck away at the blood pouring from Celeste's neck. It was…delicious. Not just the taste itself but the rush of it, the terror of this witch adding flavor as she kept on drinking, Celeste shaking about in a vain attempt to stop what was happening.

Through the haze of pleasure, Felicity heard something, a voice crying out. She ignored it, continuing to drink until she was suddenly pulled away and thrown against a wall. She snarled, lunging forward but Caroline was there, blood drying from her head wound but pressing her back. "Felicity!" the teenager yelled. "Stop! Enough!"

The voice cut through, shocking Felicity back to reality. She blinked, seeing Celeste lying on the ground, blood pooled around her. She reached up, fingers brushing at her lips and looking at the red on her fingers. "Oh my God," Felicity whispered as it sunk in what she'd done. "Oh my…"

Roaring, Klaus got back to his feet, yanking at the chains to send vampires knocking about. Elijah was also back, his fighting with far more fervor. Rebekah rose up to look at them, then to a stunned Marcel. "Pick up the coin."

He whirled on her. "What?!"

"Look at them, Marcel! They're not going to stop! Not until everyone here is dead and you too! Your kingdom comes to an end right here and now unless you make a move to keep it together so pick up the dammed coin!"

Marcel stared at her, then down at the brawl below, seeing another two vampires fall. Steeling himself, he leapt down to the courtyard, bellowing "_Enough!" _

The vampires broke apart as Marcel stepped forward, eyes on Klaus and Elijah, the two Originals stained with blood of dozens of vampires. Taking a deep breath, Marcel knelt down to pick up the coin. "I hereby pledge my allegiance to you. You have the keys to my kingdom." He rose up, still glaring, letting Klaus know that this was not a true surrender. "It's yours."

Klaus' face was almost demonic, covered with blood and a giant grin. "It always has been." He looked about at the stunned group. "I believe I've made enough examples here tonight. What use is a kingdom without loyal subjects?"

He gave Marcel a light pat on the cheek as he walked past. "Now be a good boy and clean this mess up, will you?" Marcel glowered but backed up as Klaus walked over to Caroline and Felicity. "Are you all right?" he asked Caroline, his voice surprisingly gentle."

"Yeah, we are," Caroline said, still holding Felicity by the arms. "Katherine's downstairs, we need to bind her up before we can figure a spell."

"Oh, I do believe the witches here might be a bit more open to aiding us," Klaus said with a dangerous edge. "They owe me for going back on their word to aid us here."

Elijah was wiping at his mouth with his handkerchief as he came up. "Ms. Smoak, are you all right?"

Felicity was still shaking, staring at Celeste. "I…I just…killed her."

"Somehow, I doubt that," Elijah remarked. "I get the feeling that Celeste has been using a spell to possess the bodies of witches over centuries. If she is dead here, her spirit has moved on to someone else."

"That's…a very bizarre comfort," Felicity swallowed as she wiped at her mouth. "I think I may throw up…"

Caroline moved her off, holding her shoulders. "I know, I know how it is. Come on, let's get you cleaned up and then some serious drinking."

Klaus watched them go before turning his head up to Rebekah, eyes narrowed. "Enjoy the show, sister?" he called out.

She glared back. "Are you satisfied now, Klaus?"

"Never, my dear," he intoned. His lips turned upward. "But come…This is a night for celebration! Our family once more ruling the roost in New Orleans!" He walked off with a wide smile as Elijah and Rebekah exchanged looks, both worried about how their new standing was going to affect their ever-unpredictable brother.

* * *

Felicity tapped her feet as she glanced at the sign at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans airport terminal. The flight to Starling City seemed to be on time but Felicity was naturally in a hurry to get on it and try and put this city behind her. Of course, she knew it would be impossible to ever forget what had happened.

She felt a presence and looked up to see Caroline offering a coffee. "Decaf?"

"Think I've had enough to keep me awake a while," Felicity said as she accepted the cup. Caroline sat next to her as Felicity adjusted her skirt and light blouse.

"You don't have to keep on the glasses," Caroline said. "You don't need them anymore."

Felicity shrugged. "Used to them." She smiled. "Besides…sort of like having a secret identity."

"Um, ok," Caroline frowned. She nodded at the ring on Felicity's right finger. "That working out okay?'

Felicity held it up, the blue center with silver bands in a unique style. "Not bursting into flame in the taxi coming in so I guess the…magic works." She shook her head. "I'm wearing a magic ring, I cannot believe this…"

"Been there, hon," Caroline said. She handed over a piece of paper. "Here. Elijah made some calls, found a few places in Starling that offer blood and a couple of vamp bars, at least know where not to go"

"Thanks," Felicity said as she accepted it. "So…back to college for you? Not staying?"

Caroline shook her head. "Elena is getting used to back in her own body."

"Seems a nice girl, hope she's not upset about the whole…um…stabbing and heel to the head thing."

Caroline waved a hand. "Trust me, used to it, just happy it wasn't worse. Sadly, seems Katherine vanished right after they switched back. Something tells me she's not going quietly, she's gonna try something again."

"Punch her if you see her again, human or not."

"Done." Caroline sipped her drink. "Plus, not eager to stick around with Klaus taking charge. Elijah and Rebekah are staying and so's Haley and I think Elijah may have a thing for her."

"A thing for the werewolf his vampire brother knocked up?" Felicity let out a laugh. "Wow, the Queens and the Lances are no longer the most screwed-up families I know."

Caroline paused before speaking. "What happened with Celeste…I know how it can be. In the heat of the moment, the hunger takes you. Just remind yourself that she was a killer witch, who knows how many lives she's taken staying alive all this time."

Felicity looked down. "Doesn't make it right."

Caroline rubbed her back. "This may sound trite but…just because you kill, it doesn't make you a killer. It's gonna be rough and you're gonna be tempted when it hits but…you're a smart woman, Felicity. A lot stronger than I was when it hit me." She smiled. "One thing I forgot to tell you is that your natural feelings and morals are only enhanced when you get turned. And if you were already a nice person, then that's going to just get better. So hold onto that and you'll be fine."

Felicity smiled back. "And they say we're dumb."

Caroline chuckled as an announcement echoed over the loudspeakers. "That's your flight. You got my number so if you need help or just…to talk."

Felicity rose up to hug Caroline. "Thanks…For helping me and all." She lifted up her carry-on bag as she turned to head toward the waiting gate. She was leaving New Orleans a completely different person than when she'd entered it. But she as Felicity Smoak and she wasn't going to let that stop her, no matter what.

Although she did wonder if this would affect her Queen Consolidated life insurance plan.

* * *

**Thanks for the kind words and as you can see, this will be a shift for Felicity as next chapter gets her back to Starling City where she soon finds a different level to it not even Oliver suspected. All comments welcomed. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Sharper Points**

**By Michael Weyer**

* * *

The hardest thing about being able to move fast was trying to be slow.

Felicity was realizing that as she made her way through the streets of Starling City to reach Queen Consolidated. Back in town a day, she'd settled into her apartment, time for a long nap and woke up later than planned. She could be down the street in minutes but pretty sure that would get too much attention around here. Thus she was trying to find a transport, adjusting her glasses again as she walked in her usual business skirt and blouse.

She racing to a nearby can when a heavyset man in a suit cut her off to open the door. "Wait, wait!" Felicity called out. "That's mine, I saw it first!"

He just shrugged. "Sorry, next time."

Felicity moved fast to grab his arm, the man startled at her strength. He opened his mouth to yell but he saw Felicity's pupils dilate behind her glasses. "You're going to let me have this cab. Take the next one."

The man backed up, a bit dazed as Felicity got into the taxi. As it pulled into traffic, she couldn't help but giggle as she realized Caroline was right, vampirism definitely had its perks. She settled into the cab, staring out as she considered what she'd been told.

_"Senses can be a lot," Caroline was saying. They were standing in the backyard of the massive mansion in New Orleans, the sun just setting. "But you can control it. You just need to filter it out, try and make sure you don't listen too much to everything."_

_"It's hard, I mean, really hard, I try my best but I can hear so much and smell so much and I can see a lot too and wow, I am really rambling, more so than usual."_

_"If you were a rambler before, it's only gonna get more from here on in. Remember, natural personality is magnified."_

_Felicity rubbed at her temples, feeling a headache growing. "Just...God, I can smell the swamp from here."_

_"Wait until you go to a restaurant," Caroline said with sympathy. "But you just need to learn how to handle it. Focus on yourself first, then you can handle your surroundings."_

_Felicity closed her eyes to take a few breaths. "I'm breathing even though I barely have a pulse..."_

_"Ignore it," Caroline cut in. "Just focus on yourself first, get it together and you can get used to the senses better."_

_"This really works?"_

_"Did for me. Once you can walk without getting overwhelmed, we can work on the blood-lust."_

_"Excuse me?"_

_"Don't worry, you won't be a raving beast."_

_"Except that time of the month..."_

_"Oh, didn't I mention? Vampires don't get periods."_

_"Is it odd I suddenly want to kiss Katherine Pierce?'_

_"You're not alone."_

Felicity shook herself free as the cab pulled up to the familiar building. Paying her fare, she exited to prepare for a new stage in her life.

* * *

Oliver Queen had a unique musk.

Caroline and Rebekah had both warned Felicity of a side effect of newly enhanced senses, which was that you would catch the odors of others far sharper than normal. Thus, Felicity was able to tell that Oliver's body gave off...something. It may have been his years on the island or just a natural thing but it added to his already intimidating and highly attractive appearance and made it a bit harder for Felicity to keep her mind on business.

She looked at him through her glasses, which were now simply paned glass. She didn't need them but as she'd told Caroline, having a secret was hardly new here. Felicity could keep up appearances as much as she needed to, the daylight ring a definite help. As much as it hurt to not tell the truth to Oliver, Felicity figured the man had more than enough on his plate to worry about his assistant becoming one of the undead.

It took Felicity a moment to realize he was talking to her and quickly got herself back on track. "Oh, ok, so, um bombing patterns." She turned to type into the computer. "Not seeing obvious right now but I can run some software to figure out any possible targets."

Oliver nodded. "Sounds good." He paused to look her over. "Are you ok? Just seem…off."

"Oh, fine, fine," Felicity quickly brushed him off. "Long flight, long night, first day back, Barry in a coma, it just takes getting used to."

Oliver nodded to the ring on her hand. "That's new."

"Yeah, just picked it up as a souvenir," Felicity quickly brushed it aside. She rose up. "I'll get cracking on this then!"

Oliver watched her go before turning to frown at Diggle. "She seem…different to you?"

Diggle shrugged. "Guess Allen's condition still affecting her."

"Maybe," Oliver mused. Something was nagging at him but he couldn't quite put it down. He shrugged as he headed to the boardroom. "We need to get back to training."

"By which, you're just working the ladder while I watch again?"

"It's routine."

* * *

The nightlife of Starling City wasn't something Felicity had ever embraced before. She was more comfortable at home going through the Internet with a glass of wine than hitting clubs or such. But here she was, walking down an alley on one of the seedier parts of town, not far from what was left of the Glades. She felt nervous but tried to control it, shuffling the hood over her head as she paced about in her coat and jeans.

She double-checked the paper before coming up to the small storefront. It appeared no different than most of the places on the street, a bit run-down but still clear enough for business. Felicity entered the door, a bell ringing as she examined the various shelves of pharmaceuticals and other sundries, your typical drug store by any normal view. But her nose could detect something over the usual scents that hinted at its real purpose.

Behind the counter was a handsome man who appeared to be in his thirties, dark hair a bit long, dressed in simple slacks and a dark shirt. He looked up as Felicity entered and by the way he stiffened, she knew he knew what she was. "Um, hi," she said. "I'm Felicity."

"I don't need to know names," the man said, his voice strong with traces of an accent.

"Right," Felicity nodded quickly. "You're…" She looked at the paper. "Andrew Blake?"

The man glowered and Felicity worried she had broken some rule. "Who gave you my name?"

"Um, Elijah?"

Blake's frown lessened a bit. "Ah. Of course." He moved to a nearby shelf, sliding some false paneling over to reveal a refrigerated safe. "New?" he asked as he entered a combination into the keypad.

"Yeah. Is…that important?"

Blake shrugged. "Just making sure you're not feeding on your own. I try to make sure the vampires in this town keep quiet, don't cause much fuss. We've got enough with that Arrow character. I haven't' lived 500 years just to be expose now."

Felicity licked her lips. "Um, no problem, I'm keeping it quiet."

"Good." Blake removed a few bags of cool blood. "Preference? Human, animal, specific type?"

"Um, I guess animal is okay." Felicity could not believe she was having this conversation.

Blake looked through the bags to pick the right one. "Your choice. Most prefer human, better taste but that can be addicting and we know how bad that can turn out." He placed a set of bags into a small cooler and brought it over. "Cash."

Prepared, Felicity reached into her purse to take out a wad of bills and hand them over. Blake swiftly counted them out before handing the cooler over. As Felicity took it, Blake grabbed her hand to yank her in, his eyes flaring. "As I said…Do not cause trouble in this city or I'll take care of you."

Swallowing, Felicity yanked her hand back. "I'm just trying to get by, ok? Live a normal life."

Blake's face softened, almost becoming sad. "There's no such thing anymore. Not for you."

"I can try."

"And you'll fail." Blake leaned in. "You'd best accept this now. This life of yours? It's over. How long until the people you know realize you're not aging? You're going to have to learn to start over again and again and that anyone human you get close to is going to grow old and die while you remain the same. What few friends you have that are like you? A lot of the time, you're going to wish you'd never met them. Your existence is going to be hard and lonely so best to just face it now and learn to live with it."

Felicity set her jaw as she brought herself up. "Maybe that's you. But it doesn't have to be me." She took the cooler from him. "Some of us don't see the world so bitter and harsh. I don't know what the future is but I'm not going to become like you."

Blake smiled thinly. "Not yet. Wait a hundred years and see how it feels."

Felicity just shook her head before turning to go. Blake watched her leave and smirked, reflecting once more on how the young always had to endure hardships before accepting the truth.

* * *

Felicity was halfway to the subway when she sensed them. It was still amazing that she could hear heartbeats and smell the sweat of these men before they came out of the shadows. There were four in total, all young but tough, dressed in dark outfits and sporting a few tattoos. One held a knife, two others clubs as their leader stepped in front of Felicity. "Dangerous for a little girl to be alone out here."

"Good thing I'm not a little girl," Felicity said as calmly as she could.

The man nodded to her cooler. "What you got in there?"

"Planning a kegger," Felicity fired back. "Sorry but invites only."

The man chuckled. "Feisty. I like that." He extended his hand. "Just hand it over and we'll let you walk out of here."

"Nah, think I'll keep it." Felicity moved past him as the man grabbed her arm. She moved forward only to have him grab her from behind. On instinct, Felicity reached her hand back to grasp his and threw it backward. He screamed as he felt bones in his arm break and stumbled back, clutching her arm.

One of the club-wielding men rushed in and Felicity dodged to smash the cooler across his face, a shattering indicating the breaking of his nose. He fell back as Felicity saw the other man chasing her with the club. In a blur, she dodged out of his way, the man swinging empty air. Before he even knew what was happening, Felicity kicked him in the back of the leg, a cracking echoing and the man howling as he fell, clutching his shattered kneecap. She grabbed the club out of his hand and slammed it across his head, sending him down in a heap.

A sharp pain hit her in the back and Felicity gasped as she spun around, reaching to feel the knife buried between her shoulder blades. The last thug's face went from a grin to shock as he saw Felicity's black eyes and veined face in full. The distraction was enough for her to run forward and smash him with a pair of punches that sent him sailing a few feet before collapsing in a heap.

Grunting, Felicity's hands found the knife and yanked it out. She let it drop as she took a few breaths to steady herself. She adjusted her glasses before grabbing the cooler and quickly headed to the subway. As she did, she pulled out her cell phone to quickly dial 911. "Hello?" she said, deepening her voice as much as she could. "There are some men at the corner of 11th and Hastings, it looks like they've been injured, they may be criminals but at least deserve attention." She quickly hung up while tapping some keys to make sure the call couldn't be traced. Brushing back her hair, Felicity made her way down the stairs to the subway.

"Well, damn."

Jumping a bit, Felicity spun around to see a figure staring at her. She quickly recognized the young woman with the short black hair as Sin, that friend of Roy's. The girl was smirking in her usual dark jeans and jacket, crossing her arms. "Here Roy told me you were just some techie girl, who knew you had that in you?"

Cursing under her breath, Felicity moved quickly, locking her eyes on Sin's. "You're going to forget you saw that."

Sin blinked but shook her head. "Um, no, I don't think I will."

Felicity frowned, removing her glasses to try again. "You never saw me here."

"Yeah, I did." Sin just smirked.

Felicity frowned deeper, looking her over before understanding flashed in her face. "You're…on vervain."

Sin chuckled. "You guys on the nice end of town may be blind to it but we in the Glades have known about vamps and such for a while. I got caught by one when I first came here, would have died if Sara hadn't saved me."

"Sara knows?" Felicity gawked.

"Seems she has…experience," Sin stated. "Come on, my place isn't far, we can talk more there."

Shaking her head, Felicity followed her a block to a rather run-down apartment building. Sin unlocked her door and entered, Felicity trying to follow but suddenly found herself stumbling back as if she'd hit a wall. She frowned as she reached to what seemed thin air and pressed against it. Sin turned to see her, taking a moment to laugh quietly to herself. "Sorry. Come in."

Felicity felt the barrier fall and entered, shaking her head. "Damn, that's actually real."

Sin smiled as she sat down at the table. "I know you're a good sport so not worried about you sucking my blood."

"Not really into that personally," Felicity said. "It's…well, gross when you get right down to it."

"I'll try to avoid it myself." Sin looked her over. "Don't worry, I'll keep this quiet. Sara might suspect in a bit but I won't tell her."

"I appreciate that," Felicity said as she mentally added yet another layer to her "who knows whose secret" file. It was swiftly growing rather large.

"You met Blake?"

"He's…interesting."

Sin's smile faded. "Don't cross him. He keeps out of things mostly but he can be brutal. After the quake, a bunch of vamps tried to hunt, figured it'd be easy pickings in the chaos. Blake tore them apart. And I mean that literally."

"And…no one really knows?"

The smirk returned to Sin's face. "This is Starling, honey. Folks are used to looking the other way. And you honestly think of vampires when you consider the threats around here?"

Felicity had to admit that as she looked at her watch. "I should get going. But thanks for the talk."

"Any time," Sin stated. "Something tells me you need to vent now and then. And the girlfriend quota around here isn't exactly stellar."

Felicity smiled and nodded as she picked up her cooler to go. She had to shake her head as she exited the building, marveling once more at just how bizarre it was that you kept connecting with the oddest people in this city.

* * *

On a rooftop above, the figure lowered the sniper rifle he had been holding for the last ten minutes and touched his finger to his headset. "Deadshot to Waller. You got all that?"

_"Confirmed," _a strong female voice echoed through the connection.

The man shook his head, light glinting off the lens covering one eye. "That girl looks eighty pounds soaking wet and she tossed those guys around like rag dolls while walking off a knife wound. The hell is she on?"

_"Something I want to find out. Back to base now."_

In her office, Amanda Waller shut off the communications link as she studied the video from Deadshot's feed, pursing her lips. She had assumed that if anyone in Queen's party was worth looking at, it was Diggle. But the skills that Smoak had just shown were something Waller definitely paid interest to. She tapped her fingers on her keyboard as she moved the video link into a folder elsewhere on her computer.

_SHADOWPACT._

* * *

**For those wondering, Andrew Blake is from the cult DC series "I, Vampire." So Felicity is back in Starling and doing her best to settle into her new life but as you can tell, factors are working to pull her in new directions. Again, all comments welcomed and hope to have new updates soon, especially with Felicity and Sara. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Sharper Points**

**By Michael Weyer**

* * *

"A party?" Felicity blinked behind her glasses. "Your mom is throwing a party to announce her candidacy for mayor?"

"It's what she's planning," Oliver confirmed. The two were in the main offices of Queen Consolidated, the picture of a boss and his loyal assistant at work. Of course, as with so much else involving the life of Oliver Queen, things were not as they seemed. "Your mom does realize the track record with Queen parties lately isn't great, right?"

"I told her that," Oliver said as he paced. "But it's what she wants. She thinks it's a good thing, make a splash with the big donors and such and so we can get a start on the campaign."

Felicity rubbed her temples. "She goes to jail for an accessory to terrorism and she thinks she can be elected mayor? This isn't Gotham or Chicago!"

Oliver shrugged. "Maybe but we could use a boost for the company."

"I'll say." The two turned to see Isabel Rochev standing in the doorway. As always, she looked elegant in her dark business suit with long brown hair falling past her shoulders, impassive but also intense. As ever, Felicity felt her skin crawl a bit in her presence. She told herself it was just suspicion over Isabel's real motives but that tiny voice in her head reminded her of the jealousy she and Oliver had spent a night together in Moscow.

Isabel stepped into the room, her heels clicking. "Your mother is a fool, Oliver. You know that she has no chance in this election. All it's going to do is drag the company through even more of the mud and make it harder to get us back in shape."

"The royal we being used here," Felicity remarked. Isabel gave her a glare that would have cowed Felicity a few weeks earlier. But when you face off against three Originals, a cold businesswoman doesn't have the same impact.

Oliver noted the returned look but brushed it aside as he faced Isabel. "We're using our own funds, not company ones for the party and accepting donations for the campaign. And this will help the company, my mom has a good chance, despite the good Blood has done. She wins and we can help rebuild Starling together."

Isabel shook her head. "I can't okay this, Oliver."

"Well, luckily it's not your decision," he snapped back. "It's ours. We will handle it ourselves." He looked over to Felicity. "Felicity is handling the preparations for entertainment now."

By now used to her boss's quick attempts to cover up, Felicity was ready. "Yes, yes, I am, not using company funds, just Queen personal ones!" She quickly stood up. 'In fact, I am on my way to meet the main entertainment act now, it's a personal request from Thea, saw this show and raved about it so getting her to show up at the party and I'll get right on that!" She quickly moved out of the room, doing her best not to show some relief getting away from Isabel. She glanced at her phone to track the address of the club, a bit annoyed at running such a small errand but it was part of the job.

She shook her head. The "job" had been more intense than usual in the last week. First, the whole deal with Bronze Tiger and Roy finding out about Oliver's life as Ollie wanted to train the kid. Then Sara coming back to town with Nyssa around and the Lance drama. Felicity had felt her feelings rise on that one. Seriously, Sara had gone with a woman for a while and yet Oliver was still hooking up with her. Then again, bi-sexuality was probably a plus in his eyes.

That would have been a lot for Felicity to handle anyway but throw in her new…lifestyle…and it was more of a distraction to her usually calm mind. She was so distracted that she hadn't even had the proper time to look into this Tempest thing as she wanted to. She made a mental note to double-check it when she got home later, something was really nagging at her about that. But she had a lot more to handle, especially after that little incident with Nyssa had gotten her suspicions up. She had to know more but for once, the Internet was a total letdown, almost nothing on anyone called Ra's. Thankfully, she did have one other source to call upon now when it came to legends of someone who'd been around for centuries…

_"Ra's al Ghul. Ah, yes. I know him quite well." _

_ As ever, Elijah's voice had a quality that could reduce the toughest of women to a moaning mess. Felicity was doing her best to ignore that as she paced her apartment. "So, he's a vampire?"_

_ "No, actually," Elijah spoke over the cell phone. "How exactly he maintains his immortality is unknown. It might be magic of some sort but he is quite human, I can assure you. He is also ruthless to the extreme and will not allow anyone to cross his path and live to tell the tale."_

_ "Sounds a lot like your brother."_

_ "The difference is that Ra's does not play games. He does not allow his temper to get the better of him and he always has a plan or a dozen if need be. He tends to keep to his interests so we have not crossed paths often. But anyone connected with him is to be considered most dangerous."_

_ "Sara was in his League but she left."_

_ A long silence went up at that. "I have met several people over the centuries who are members of the League of Assassins," Elijah finally answered. "But I have yet to meet one who _used _to be one. I would keep a close eye on your friend Sara."_

_ "Well, I wouldn't say we're friends…"_

_ There was a sound on the other end as Elijah spoke out before returning to her call. "I need to go. We have some issues in New Orleans to handle."_

_ "Well, thanks for the info anyhow. Anything else you can help me with?"_

_ "Just this." Elijah's voice became stern. "In 1552, our father crossed paths with Ra's in Istanbul. From what I heard, the clash claimed the lives of dozens of innocent bystanders but in the end…Ra's left my father for dead."_

_ "Oh?"_

_ "Ms. Smoak, my father did not earn the nickname of the Destroyer without doing his utmost to earn said moniker. However dangerous you may think this man's agents are…Any human being who can not only survive an encounter with Mikael but actually get the better of him is a man that neither you nor your employer will wish to get involved with."_

_ Felicity swallowed at the chill she felt as she hung up and once more found herself wishing she'd gone for that internship at Wayne Enterprises when she'd had the chance._

* * *

The Anderson Theater was one of the more upscale venues in Starling City, used often for concerts and the like as well as some popular musical acts. Felicity had no idea why the performer currently doing a run there was on Thea's radar in the first place. The girl never struck her as the type for a magician (or illusionist, was that better?) but somehow, this must have impressed her.

It didn't take much for Felicity to convince the staff on site to let her through, the Queen name still had some power to it. She knocked on the dressing room door and at the soft voice inside, opened it to enter. "Hi, Zatanna Zatara? I'm Felicity Smoak, representing Moria Queen."

The woman turning to face her was a stunning presence to be sure. She had long black hair flowing past her shoulders, framing her gorgeous face, lips highlighted by bright red lipstick. She wore a tuxedo top with white shirt holding back her ample bosom, the jacket with tails fitting her well. Her long legs were shown in fishnet stockings reaching to her high heels. White gloves completed the picture and a top hat was leaning on the counter of her makeup counter.

The moment Felicity entered the room, the light smile on Zatanna's face vanished as she took her in. She held up a hand and uttered words in a bright yet hard tone. "_Laes moor!" _A glow came over her hand as the door behind Felicity suddenly slammed shut behind her. She jumped as she looked to Zatanna, seeing the woman moving toward her. Felicity acted on instinct, using her speed to grab the woman and slam her against the wall. Even as she was doing so, Zatanna was talking again. "_Tcetorp em morf noislupmoc!" _

Felicity looked Zatanna in the eye, her pupils dilating into compulsion mode. "Calm down and don't fight me."

In response, Zatanna pushed Felicity back, reaching for a nearby bottle of water. _"Egnahc retaw otni niavrev!" _She threw the bottle into Felicity's face and the blonde screamed as it felt like she'd just been hit by acid. She stumbled back into a chair, hearing Zatanna speak again in that odd way that a tiny part of Felicity's analytical mind realized was speaking backwards. Scarves flew about to wrap around Felicity's arms and ankles, tying her swiftly to the chair.

_ Why is this happening to me? I'm a good person! Aside from the stabbing Katherine in the head with a shoe and draining the witch parts…_

Zatanna crossed her arms, her face set. "Okay, vampire. I'll give you a chance to tell me who sent you before I turn every drop of blood in your body to acid."

"Um…Oliver Queen sent me," Felicity blinked back tears from the vervain in her eyes. "To hire you."

Zatanna stared. "Excuse me?"

"Hire you!" Felicity snapped. "For his mother's party! His sister, Thea, she recommended you but I have to say you are not making a very good impression for future references and wait until I post my online review of your show to every theater blog!"

Zatanna frowned. "But you're a vampire."

"So? We're not all blood-raving beasts, some of us are well productive members of society!" Felicity winced. "Can you please loosen these? If I had working circulation, it'd be cutting it off but it's still damn uncomfortable."

Zatanna was still suspicious but whispered as she waved her hands and the bonds came loose. "Thank you," Felicity said, rubbing her wrists.

"Sorry," Zatanna replied. "But I've had…issues with vampires before."

Felicity looked her over and sniffed. "No wonder you've got such a great act. Isn't that sort of cheating? Not to mention, I had magic like that, I wouldn't be wasting it on stage."

"Magic isn't to be used or abused like that," Zatanna said. "I prefer keeping a low profile when I can. I'd rather go for applause than power."

"Nice to know," Felicity remarked as she wiped her face off. She reached in to pull out some papers. "Okay, one moment." She took out a felt marker and began to slide it across the paper, making a few notes. "You'll understand if I knock your fee down a bit given the circumstances."

"Fair," Zatanna conceded. She took the contract, perused it and signed it. "So, when and where?"

Felicity shook her head as she rubbed her temples. "I am so not getting paid enough for this job," she muttered under her breath.

* * *

Felicity steeled herself as she knocked on the door. She didn't want to be here, she really didn't. But Oliver and Sara alike were worried and somehow, Felicity got herself talked into being sent in. She took a breath as she knocked again, knowing this was not going to be easy.

As soon as the door opened, Felicity nearly gagged at the wave of alcohol that flowed out of the apartment. A human nose would have noticed it but to her senses, it was even worse. It felt like sweat over the body of Laurel Lance, the woman obviously haggard with her hair a total mess and dressed in a dark shirt and jeans. "Oh. You," she slurred out and Felicity winced again at the smell of her breath. "Shoulda known Ollie would send his other blonde to me."

Felicity took a deep breath, doing her best to ignore that smell. "Can I come in?"

She was worried Laurel wouldn't agree, thus forcing Felicity to stay outside. But after a moment, she shrugged and backed up. "Sure, come on in." Felicity entered as Laurel headed to the couch. Empty take-out boxes were scattered about along with quite a few empty beer bottles. Laurel was reaching for a half-full one as she slumped onto the couch.

Felicity licked her lips as she walked over. "Look…I know we're not friends, don't know me and all but Oliver and Sara and your dad are all worried about you."

"Now they're worried," Laurel scoffed. "Now…After all the time lying to me…All the pain they dished out…Now they're worried about poor little Laurel…"

"Oh, screw this!"

Laurel started as Felicity moved over her. "I did not come here to engage in a Lance pity party! You have your sister back, Laurel! You know how many people would give anything for that? Okay, she lied, okay she and Oliver are together, fine, whatever! But you have a chance so many would love and instead you're pissed because he's not with you! God, you're pathetic!"

"I'm pathetic?" Laurel snorted. "Says the geek girl who's so obviously in love with him but no guts to say it."

Felicity crossed her arms. "This isn't about me, it's about you. Oliver and Sara, they want you to get better, you can't keep doing this to yourself." She softened her voice as she motioned around the room. "I know it gets to be a lot but drinking? You're a smart woman, you could still get yourself a job, get back on track…"

"Screw you," Laurel snapped, pushing Felicity back. "You're mooning over Ollie yourself, you think you have a right to judge me?"

"I'm trying to help you."

"I don't need any help. I don't need any talking to, I just need to be left alone." Laurel grabbed the bottle and poured herself another glass. The idea of her adding yet more alcohol to her breath was enough to get Felicity to finally snap. In a blur, she had pulled the glass away and pushed Laurel to the nearest chair. The woman opened her mouth to protest but was cut off as Felicity's eyes dilated in her own.

"Listen to me," Felicity compelled. "From now on, alcohol is the absolutely most disgusting taste you can imagine. The very idea of it makes you sick, you can't stand it at all and never want it again."

"Okay," Laurel said in a dull voice. Felicity wasn't done yet. "You're going to clean yourself up, get yourself to an AA group and try to cut your sister a break. You are Laurel Lance and you are not going to be beaten down by this, ok?"

As Laurel nodded, Felicity stepped back. Laurel blinked as she regained her senses. She immediately put the glass down with a frown. "Sorry, zoned out for a minute."

"It's okay." Felicity spoke softer. "I'm sorry if I came on too strong but tough love and all that."

"Yeah…Yeah, I guess so." Laurel wrinkled her nose as she looked down on herself. "Ugh, God, I need a shower."

"I'll leave you to it." Felicity watched as Laurel reached to grab a bottle, going to her sink to pour the contents into the drain. She smiled softly as she left. Sure, compulsion may have been a bit much but if there was one thing working with Oliver Queen had taught her, it was that you often had to go the extremes to help people out.

* * *

The party was subdued, at least by Queen standards, but still upscale. Folks in various suits and dresses mingled around, having a good time. In one corner, Zatanna was in costume, doing a set of card tricks to interested guests. Felicity had let her hair down (literally) as she mingled in a nice pink dress, glasses off as she looked about. Despite not being clean-shaven, Oliver was still dashing in his own tuxedo and Felicity felt a thrill seeing him that she quickly played down. She saw Sara around and had to admit the girl looked damn beautiful in her own dark dress, her hair nicely combed back.

Felicity made her way to where Thea was standing in a nice green dress. "How you doing?"

"Not bad," the girl replied.

"Where's Roy?"

"Someone had to keep an eye on the club."

"Ah." Felicity sipped at some wine. "Your mom is serious about this."

"Guess so," Thea shrugged. "I don't know, I think it's crazy but…hey, better than her moping around the house."

"True." Felicity was about to reply when her ears caught something. She stopped, cocking her head as she tried to zero in on the voice. Thea frowned as she saw Felicity's eyes go wide. "Are you okay?"

Ignoring her, Felicity spun around and moved quickly through the crowd of people. It didn't take her long to find the source of that familiar voice, letting out a lush laugh as she saw the gorgeous blonde in a blood-red dress chatting with Moria and some others. "Oh, no."

"Yes, Paris is quite lovely this time of year," the blonde stated in her English accent as she sipped her champagne. "But I think Madrid would be a better choice. I spent a lovely summer abroad with a friend, we had a grand time there…"

"Rebekah?" Felicity blurted as she came up the ground. The woman turned to offer a small smile. "Well, hello there," the Original said. "So nice to meet you again."

"You know her, Ms. Smoak?" Moria asked with surprise.

"Oh, um, briefly," Felicity quickly said.

"Yes, Felicity and I were quite friendly," Rebekah said with a smile.

"Yeah, sorry, we do need to catch up so okay!" Felicity took Rebekah by the arm and dragged her to a nearby corner, fighting not to use her enhanced speed for it. She yanked Rebekah to a hallway before pushing her against a wall. "What the _hell _are you doing here?!"

"If you must know, Klaus and I had a…bit of a tiff," Rebekah said. "I felt it a good idea to leave New Orleans, travel around a bit."

"And you chose here? Why?!"

"You said Starling had charm although I have yet to see it yet…"

"And how did you get here? It's invite only!"

Rebekah chuckled. "Dear child, I invented the concept of crashing parties. This is a bit low-key for my tastes but I admit, it has its charms."

Felicity rubbed her temples. "I do not need this, you understand me? Please, just try not to cause trouble."

"Now where's the fun in that?" Rebekah stated.

"I'm serious here!"

Rebekah narrowed her eyes. "Do not. Ever. Snap at me, girl. Understand?"

"Hey, this is my job here, ok?"

"Yes, your job, for your lovely employer." Rebekah glanced over to see Oliver chatting to others. "I must admit, he does cut a fine figure." She saw Isabel coming up to him. "As that lady would agree."

Felicity glared at the woman talking to her boss. "Ah, not a fan of hers?" Rebekah asked.

"Not really," Felicity had to admit. She shook her head. "Just…don't cause problems, ok? Enjoy the party, don't kill anyone and leave."

Rebekah sniffed. "You, child, are not one to talk to your betters."

"Better? At what? Because it's not makeup, I can tell you that."

In a blur, Rebekah slammed Felicity against a wall and too late the girl remembered just how powerful the Original was. "I should kill you now," the blonde spat. She paused before her lips turned upward. "But instead…I do believe I may decide to help you instead." She locked her eyes on Felicity's, her pupils dilating. Felicity tried to look away but it was too late as she was enthralled by the ancient vampire's compulsion.

"You want to indulge in your feelings for your boss," Rebekah stated. "Do what it takes to get him, have a fun and wild time, no cares for your career or such."

Helpless, Felicity nodded. Rebekah smiled. "See, dear? I can be a nice girl if I try." She walked off as Felicity slowly blinked herself aware. She turned her head to see Oliver and felt herself flush inside. Desires she'd long held back within her were coming to the forefront, overwhelming any reason, logic or "this is a very bad idea" warning alarms in her head and making her step forward moving right to Oliver. "Hey, need to talk," she said, using her standard "it's top secret" voice.

"Ah, yes, sorry, business calls," Oliver apologized to his guests before following Felicity. He waited until they were alone before dropping his smile to look at her. "What is it?"

In response, Felicity grabbed him and pulled him into a long and deep kiss. The incredulity of the moment froze Oliver in place as her tongue probed the inside of his mouth. He finally managed to regain his senses to push her back. "Felicity!" he gasped. "What are…"

She grabbed him again, moving in a blur to the nearest empty room and kissing more. Oliver was trying to push her away but Felicity's strength was greater than he imagined and she seemed to be all over him. He finally broke off, gasping for air before shaking her head. "Felicity, I don't know what's gotten into you but-"

Her eyes met his and his voice faltered as she spoke. "Feel for me now anything you ever felt for Sara or Laurel." This time, he returned the kiss passionately, his fingers working at her dress as she gripped his shirt, ready to tear it open…

_"Kaerb noislupmoc!" _

Like a bucket of cold water poured over her, Felicity was shocked back to her senses. She leapt back from Oliver with a yelp as she realized what she was doing. She spun around to see Zatanna in the doorway, the magician raising an eyebrow. "You ok? Saw you and that other vampire talking, thought something was up."

"That bitch," Felicity spat. "I'm gonna kill her! I mean, technically she's already dead and she's a thousand years old so maybe I can't but I will try and-"

Zatanna muttered under her breath as she waved her hand and Felicity shivered as a glow of sparks washed over her. "That should protect you from Original compulsion, at least for a while," Zatanna said. "Consider it an overdue apology for the other day."

"Thanks," Felicity smiled. She was aware of Oliver still going to her and looked back at him. For a long second, she was tempted. Dear God, was she tempted. "No," she whispered. "Not like this. Dammit, I can't let myself have it be like this."

Her eyes found his again, stopping his advance. "You're going to go back to the party and forget everything since I pulled you out of it." With a nod, Oliver walked right past her and Zatanna and out of the room. Felicity rubbed at her face as Zatanna looked at her with sympathy. "I'm sorry."

"Not your fault," Felicity said. "Just…"

"You're not the only one who's been tempted to use your power for something like that," Zatanna quickly said. "It's hard but you resisted so…"

Felicity held up a hand. "Not to be rude but really not in a mood to talk."

"Okay. Then what are you in the mood for?"

* * *

The bar was a seedy dive not far off from her apartment. Felicity could have gone for fancier of course but right now, she was in the mood to get as far away from the affluent as she could. She finished her glass and set it down to the two empty ones before her. "Hey!" she called out in a slightly slurred voice. "Keep 'em coming was not a euphemism!" The bartender gave a look but shrugged before pouring her a fourth glass which Felicity immediately grabbed.

"Hitting it a bit rough, aren't you?" Felicity turned her head to the man who'd just spoken in a rough British accent. He looked like he'd stepped out of an old detective novel, a white shirt, unbuttoned at the collar with a loose tie, dark slacks and a tan trench coat hanging off his frame. He had dark blonde hair and what seemed to be a permanent five o'clock shadow on his face. He took a drag on his cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke before smirking back at Felicity. "Sure you can handle that, birdie?"

"Not a bird," she fired back. "I am Felicity. I am a lioness, I am a predator, I am a…a…a dark creature of the night!"

Trenchcoat smirked. "Right. And I'm the bloody Duke of Wales."

"Hey!" Felicity pointed a finger at him. "You better be careful or I'll drain you dry!"

"Ah, baby vampires, adorable."

Felicity choked on her drink. "God, do I have a sign or something?"

Trenchcoat shrugged. "Ah, not the first fanger I've met." He smiled. "But better looking than most, I have to say."

Despite herself, Felicity was touched at the words. "Thanks. Not enough to help with my love life of course." She took another shot of her drink. "My boss would rather be with a former killer in a mask and outfit who was in love with a woman for years than me! You know how much that sucks?"

Trenchcoat took another drag on his cigarette. "Sorry you can't find a nice guy."

"Like you?"

The man let out a sharp laugh. "Oh, no. No, darling, I am a right bastard of the highest order. I'd tell you ask my friends but that would imply I have some." He sipped his own drink. "To know me is to loathe me and add to the litany of broken lives I've left in my wake. Best advice I can give is to stay the hell away from me if you don't want your lot in life getting worse."

Felicity stared at him. "Wow. And I thought Oliver had crusty moods." She finished her drink and shook her head. "Relationships suck. That's it, isn't it?"

"Too true, luv. Too true."

Felicity stared at the counter before looking over to him. "You wanna get out of here?"

The trenchcoat-wearing man looked at her with raised eyebrows. "Really? After what I just told you?"

"Every day, I am depended upon for my smarts. I think it's long past time I did something stupid if it gets me some fun." She leaned in, doing her best to look alluring which didn't quite connect. "Unless you think you can't handle me."

Trenchcoat looked at her and then grinned. "Right button, first push, darling." He threw some bills onto the counter as he helped her up, Felicity leaning on him as they stumbled toward the door. "By the byline," Felicity remarked. "Name's Felicity Smoak, what's yours?"

"John," Trenchcoat remarked as they exited the bar together. "John Constantine."

* * *

Isabel sighed as she made her way to her limo, speaking on her cell phone. "I'm saying that this can help us. If we can use Moria Queen's candidacy properly, it can be a great distraction." She paused to listen to the gravelly voice on the other line. "Blood is your problem, you know why I'm in this." She opened the door to enter her limo. "I'll be over soon, talk over it then." She hung up before looking up and jumping in her seat at the sight of the gorgeous blonde-haired woman calmly sipping a glass of champagne in the opposite seat. "Who the hell…."

The woman smiled before speaking in a crisp accent. "My name is Rebekah. I was listening to your conversation earlier with Mr...Slade, was it?" Her smile turned mischievous in a way that unsettled Isabel. "I think you and I are going to be great friends."

* * *

**A bit longer this time around but setting up more fun, all comments welcomed. **


End file.
